DEFENCE MINISTER DOES NOT MINCE WORDS IN COMMONS' DISCUSSION

Chronicle (Levin), 2 March 1948, Page 5

DEFENCE MINISTER DOES NOT MINCE WORDS IN COMMONS' DISCUSSION

Received Tuesday, 10.15 a.m. ) LONDON> March 1. I "I make no apology for presenting the issue in 'stark and un- / equivocal terms," said the Ministep of Defence, Mr. A. V Alexander * stressing- the need for Britain to be militarily strong when moving ip the House of Commons the adoption of the defence White Paper.

"The fight of the people. of Western Europe to re-establish their democratic freedom and recover their economic well-;bei.ng is our fight no less than theifS." Commenting 011 the communist amendment for the immediate reduction of the armed forces to 500,000, Mr. Alexander said that the British Communists wanted Britain ; and other freedom loving countries ; to deprive themselves of their : means of defence against their j foes, botli within and without, j while the Soviet maintained large ' forces with which to work its willi on the world. Britain must display ; a will to be strong, he said. • "We should do scant justice to ; ourselves and humanity — for the ; troubles of Western Europe may again engulf the world — if we fail! to accept this simple fundamental : truth. No one can doubt in today's j difficult world situation that we : must have defence forces." I Mr. Alexander said that Britain had decided not merely what was ' desirable, but what was practicable. I The strongest forces would be ! immobilised quickly unless nourish- j ed and sustained, not only by an ! organised war potential but also- by 1 a balanced national economy„